Background Information
Established
in 1981, Brunswick Young Peoples Project is situated within Brunswick Methodist
Church, just off Northumberland Street, in the city centre of Newcastle upon
Tyne. The project works with 16-25 year olds who use the city centre. The
project provides advice/information, guidance, support and advocacy. A significant
part of our work is crisis resolution focusing on such issues as homelessness,
difficulties with benefits, health, particularly mental health, and drugs
use.
As a city centre youth project we work with young people from across Newcastle, particularly those areas with the clearest poverty indicators. The three Wards bordering on the city centre have some of the highest unemployment (52%), and the greatest number of children living in non-earner households, and the highest proportion of householders in receipt of housing benefit (59%) [Local Authority Poverty File]. However, these official statistics do little in emphasising the real extent of poverty and it's effects on the young people with whom we work.
Brunswick Young People's Project provides the only detached youth work in the city centre, sometimes offering the only link with homeless young people. The project also plays a leading role in training other workers in detached youth work issues. Our training programmes both for detached youth work and independent living skills have been accredited by Northern R.A.M.P., and the Open College Network respectively. Both historically and currently the project has been in the forefront of the development of services that address the identified needs of young people.
The project has a non hierarchical staff team, comprising of three full time workers, a part time trainee youth worker and a part-time administrator. We are a placement base for Durham and Sunderland Universities Community and Youth Work Courses. The project is also committed to supporting new trainee youth workers, and take students on placement from Newcastle's Basic Youth Work Course.
In
September 2001 the project carried out a major redevelopment of its drop-in
space. This work was funded by the government's ICT Learning Centres initiative.
The financial support has enabled the project to equip a new computer room,
and completely redesign our drop-in area. We are now able to offer young people
access to computers, the Internet and accredited computer skills courses.
Effective networking is a vital component to our work. It represents a core
element of opportunity to advance practice and policy development.
In the past year our project has been a voluntary sector representative for the development on the new Connexions service and the restructuring of the Local Authority Play and Youth Service. We have also been part of the new developments in the National Methodist Church full-time youth workers group and the Regional Girls and Young Women's network.
February 2002
© Brunswick Young Peoples Project 2002-7